The SOMM Journal

February / March 2016

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{ SOMMjournal.com }  89 Nestled in the coastal hills of Tuscany's southernmost area, the Maremma, prob- ably most famous for its beaches, thermal baths and history of being the epicen- ter of Italy's bygone cowboy culture, Morellino di Scansano is by no means a new winemaking region, and with an annual production of over nine million bottles, nor is it a small one. The grape Morellino, the local dialect name for Sangiovese, has been cultivated in the vineyards surrounding the hilltop town of Scansano, from which it takes its name, for centuries. Yet, while the wines have been locally popular for decades in Tuscany itself, and have certainly gained national attention within Italy, Morellino di Scansano the region, though it was given DOC status in 1978, was only granted DOCG status in 2006. As such, Morellino, though readily avail- able in the U.S. since the 1980s, has only recently started to gain widespread accep- tance on the national scene. This has been due, in part, to the region finding a bigger audience after gaining DOCG recognition, but also from the fact that the wines being made there tend to be of a more modern fruit-forward style, and fairly affordable. It's this exact set of parameters that has prompted a bevy of well-known produc- ers from other regions to invest in the Maremma over the last decade to make Morellino. Names like Biondi Santi, Cecchi, Folonari, Frescobaldi, Guicciardini, and Poliziano have all invested in the region with the vision of creating quality wines alongside the region's independent pro- ducers such as Moris Farms, Roccapesta, Mantellassi, and others. There is also Cantina Vignaioli Morellino di Scansano, a very well-managed and intuitive cooperative based in the village of Scansano that bottles almost 20 percent of the total production of Morellino and is passionate about keeping the quality of grape production within its 140 grower membership at the highest level. "We're adamant that our members, none of whom farms more than three hectares [7.5 acres], provide grapes grown to our exacting specifications," says Sergio Bucci, Director of the Cooperative. "Concepts like sustainable farming practices and low carbon footprint production are just a few of the initiatives we require in order to accept their fruit, and we monitor each grower to make sure they adhere." The region of Morellino di Scansano has a primarily east-west configuration. The wines made closer to the coast tend to be more ripe with softer tannic structure due to the maritime influence, while the wines from vineyards planted farther inland (east of Scansano) and at a higher elevation, tend to be more full-bodied, showing more structured tannins. Despite the slight stylistic variation, the wines tend to age about the same. THE DOCG WINES OF MORELLINO DI SCANSANO AND MONTECUCCO SHOW THE MODERN SIDE OF TUSCANY PHOTO COURTESY OF CONSORZIO A TUTELA DEL VINO MORELLINO DI SCANSANO PHOTO COURTESY OF CONSORZIO TUTELA MONTECUCCO Morellino di Scansano Some of the gently rolling hillside vineyards in Morellino di Scansano.

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